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Iceland heads up Nordic co-operation

2015-01-06

The green economy and security for the Nordic welfare state will be in focus when Iceland takes over the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The Presidency of the Nordic governments' official co-operation forum, the Nordic Council of Ministers, rotates between the five member states and in 2014 it is the turn of Iceland to head up the co-operation. The Icelandic co-operation for 2014 was launched at the Nordic Council summit meeting in Oslo on 29 October in the presence of the Nordic countries' prime ministers.

The Presidency of the Nordic governments' official co-operation forum, the Nordic Council of Ministers, rotates between the five member states and in 2014 it is the turn of Iceland to head up the co-operation. The Icelandic co-operation for 2014 was launched at the Nordic Council summit meeting in Oslo on 29 October in the presence of the Nordic countries' prime ministers.

Photo: Karin Beate Nøsterud/norden.org

The Icelandic government wants to focus in particular on the Nordic Region's biological resources, which can be utilised much better than they are today.

"Our natural resources are not inexhaustible and therefore we have a duty to ensure sustainable use and avoid waste. If we want to ensure green growth in the long-run, we must also link these goals to education and the upbringing of our children", said the Icelandic Minister for Nordic Co-operation, Eygló Harðardóttir.

The Icelandic Presidency will therefore launch a number of initiatives in bioeconomy and the creative industries, as well as strengthen the interaction between energy, the environment and the climate sector in Nordic co-operation.

Welfare threatened

More than any other Nordic country, Iceland has experienced what it means when the economic rug is pulled out from under the welfare state. One of the new initiatives in Nordic co-operation in 2014 will therefore be a new body to follow developments in the Nordic countries and help to ensure due diligence in the development of the welfare state.

The Nordic Council of Ministers will publish indicators for sustainable development in the Nordic Region, which, along with the welfare sector, will be the overarching focus for Nordic co-operation in the coming year.

A third priority in the Icelandic Presidency is the development of a special Nordic playlist, which will help to promote Nordic produced music worldwide.

The entire Icelandic Programme for the Presidency “Vigour – Vitality” is available at the link.